


underneath the skin, there's a human

by CrimsonSun27



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Back to School, Gen, Inspired by the Transcendence AU, Post-Canon, Rewrite, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 06:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30101787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonSun27/pseuds/CrimsonSun27
Summary: In which Dipper begins to change.
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

He feels different on the way home. He doesn’t know what has changed about him or why, but he feels it all the same. 

He spends a few hours thinking about it, but when his eyes drift to the sun-touched scenery just beyond the bus windows, his intense focus is released and slowly but surely he relaxes. 

By the time his body feels the bus stop on their destination, that hunch is all forgotten as he coaxes Mabel to wake up and the twins step out of one adventure and into another. 

After spending time doing some home adjustments, school returns to rear its ugly head when their history teacher springs an upcoming test on the unsuspecting victims one crisp October day. A test that, despite many reassurances from his family and lots of studying, makes him anxious. What if he gets some of the questions wrong? What if he fails? 

When the day finally arrives, he tries his best and submits it with the rest of the class’ papers. Weeks later, he is at a loss for words once he sees his grade: a big, bold A. Every question he had answered was right. Even the ones he couldn’t figure out and guessed was given a check. And while everyone settles down and hangs out with their own groups, he continues to look at the sheet, not sure if he should feel relieved or confused.

These bursts of knowledge continue to pop up whenever he least expects it despite his various attempts to hide it. 

(“Hey Dip-Dop,” Mabel inquired, her head popping in to see him working ever so diligently on homework. “Do you happen to know what day the season 3 premier of Ducktective comes up? I’m dying to see it!” 

“It’s coming this upcoming Friday, at 7:00 pm after school.” He responded nonchalantly, eyes not moving away from the papers.

With a smile, she thanked him and left. It took him a minute to realize what had just occurred before growling in frustration.)

One late November night, he finds himself waking up after yet another nightmare involving _that day._ He goes towards the bathroom, too tired to notice being able to navigate well in the dark.

Once he looked up, there it was. A blue-eyed reflection in the mirror. His reflection. He freezes, mind spiraling into panic. This can’t be real. It can’t. He unravels his right sleeve and pinches his scarred forearm.

He flinches, then takes one good look in the mirror. This time, however, they are back to their natural brown hue. As if the whole thing never happened.

But he knows it did. And he doesn't like it.

(It happens again during class. He blinks once and he sees nothing but these orbs of fire, each with their own signature hues. He blinks again and just like what happened in the bathroom it’s back to normal.

He is taken back by the shift in vision but holds it in as much as he can before any bullies have any ammunition to pick on him later. He looks around to see if any of his classmates or his teacher has noticed and then continues where he has left off. He can write this new discovery down in his leatherback journal once he’s home.)

And if that isn’t worse, there are also those frequent headaches that appeared in late December. Like everything else, it appears out of nowhere. Fortunately they aren’t too painful, just distracting. However, that all changed in January where they became completely unbearable. So much that he ends up passing out right in front of everyone during indoor PE.


	2. Chapter 2

When he opens his eyes, he finds himself standing on a stage. Silently, he takes the time to get himself up from lying on the floor only to stop once he sees pieces of white string are tied to his wrists and legs.

His heart drops when he hears the familiar cackle of someone who he thought long gone before looking above his head to see a single catlike eye gazing down on him. 

Realizing that he is not alone, he turns around to see his Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford along with Waddles and Soos and Pacifica and Wendy and the rest of Gravity Falls, even Mabel all hanging together as if they were all..

Puppets. 

Soon the entire stage burst into flames, surrounding him while he remained frozen in fear. He plugs his ears to block out the chilling laughter as the flames get bigger and bigger until all he could see were flashes of blue and then-

_**“HӘUOИƎ.”** _

A loud, deep voice cuts through the nightmare, bringing the young boy back to his senses long enough to take notice of this stranger appearing before him.

They are a towering figure, one whose face is shrouded in a midnight blue robe except for their shining blue eyes that continued to stare ever so intently into his own.

That moment is soon broken when the being breaks their gaze for a second as if in thought before shrinking down to a more appropriate size while Dipper continued to watch in absolute awe.

“ʎW-“ They cleared their throat before continuing. “My apologies, young one. It wasn’t my intent to frighten you. My emotions towards the contents of this nightmare got the better of me."

“I-It’s okay.” He says with a smile. There’s no need to apologize for feeling things. Sometimes it just happens.”

They smile. “Indeed it does." 

After a while, their eyes widen in realization and their cheeks flush sheepishly. "A-Ah. Pardon my manners. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dubhe." 

"Dipper."

"It's nice to meet you, Dipper. Now let me see if I can do this..”

And with a snap, a white door appears in front of them. A small smirk grows on their face as they can’t help but notice the curious twinkle in his eyes.

“Would you like to look inside?”

He beams, racing towards it. “Do I!” But before he reaches out towards the knob, he pauses and then stops to look at them. “Can I?”

They smile sincerely. “Of course.”

He twists the knob and the door opens to reveal the inside of a cozy living room fit for a nice little seaside cottage.

“Now I know it isn’t some grand castle or pristine mansion, but it's home.” They joked lightly while the eager explorer ventured through the living room and into the kitchen before finally landing his eyes on the patio door behind it.

His eyes shone as the windows show a clear image of the sea below, its soft waves illuminated by the moonlight and the stars above.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Dubhe asked as they approached the window.

Dipper nodded. 

The grandfather clock kept it's monotonous pattern as the two watched the sea together.

"It was inspired by a friend of mine. She loved the water as much as she loved the forest. She would've always looked forward to going to the pool whenever we got the chance to do so. She was a very energetic person. Bright, too. But _so_ stubborn. Me and her used to argue over the most simple things like they were such a big deal…"

They stopped for a moment and laughed. "Ah. Here I am rambling on and on again. Would you like something to drink-"

They looked back at Dipper only to see him fast asleep. They gently picked him up and carried him upstairs to a room that looked an awful lot like his own in the real world. They put him underneath the covers of his bed and covered him with a starry blanket on top.

"Good night, Dipper." They whispered before leaving him to rest and then-

He wakes up. 

Silently, he looks around to see that he's not in the realm of a strange yet kind otherworldly being, but in a hospital bed.

He can see that he is alone, but senses three lights around him.

“They're called souls,” a voice whispers to him.

He mentally reaches out towards one.

 _“Mabel? Are you there? If you are, then I'm sorry,”_ he thinks. _“I'm sorry for making you and Mom and Dad worried. I should've told you what was…what is happening from the start. And the truth is, Mabel, I'm changing. I can see in the dark and I...I know things now. Mostly things that I shouldn't and it's so much and I'm scared and I... I need you.”_

Nothing. Then a voice.

_“Dipper?”_

He smiles.

_“Hey Mabel."_


End file.
